As we descend further into the Orwellian adventures of the Bush administration, I knew it would only be a matter of time before we heard an official announcement that reporters are fair game to be prosecuted for “leaking” certain information the President doesn’t want to see on the cover of major newspapers. Just a week or so ago, in the flurry of the mega-coverage of learning that, essentially, all of our phone records are being scoured by the Bush team (notwithstanding the Fourth Amendment), news reports said that reporters’ phone records were also fair game for inspection to make sure they aren’t giving secret info to the enemy (nothwithstanding the First Amendment).

Now, our illustrious Attorney General has announced that reporters can and will be prosecuted if they are deemed to be “leaks” of classified information. Alberto Gonzales says if you read the “law” just right (he won’t say exactly which law), in the right light, at the right time of day and head slanted to one side, the government has the authority to do that. Hmmm … any chance this could be a little payback for Scooter Libby?

Some one should clue the administration into the fact that resorting to the old parenting technique of ‘Do as I say, not as I do’ rarely achieves the desired goal — I know, because it hardly ever works with my six-year-old. And sooner or later, when you bend, massage or manipulate the law to try to fit your end game, it’s not going to be pretty (is it Watergate yet)?